Care of the Cat During Pregnancy
If you are fostering a cat or have welcomed a stray pregnant queen into your home, you'll need to have a veterinary "well-check." It is important in the case of a stray, to have her tested for FeLV and FIV and to discuss the pros and cons of vaccination.
Assuming you have a healthy queen, the best care you can give her is a diet high in nutrients, along with plenty of fresh, clean water. During the final 20 or so days, she should be switched to a premium quality kitten food, and continued on it until after the kittens have been weaned. Feed small, frequent meals. Her abdomen is full of kittens, and she won't be able to eat much at any one time. She should also be kept indoors at all times.
Impending Birth of Kittens
As your queen nears her time for giving birth, she will exhibit a few signs that will give you clues to the impending arrival of kittens. The first stage of labor lasts from 12 to 24 hours, and may include the following "symptoms:"
- Nesting
She may start snooping around in closets and secluded areas for an appropriate place to bear her kittens. The time is ripe for you to prepare an area for her in a private place, with a box or basket lined with soft towels. She may decide instead to give birth on the cold, hard floor of your bathroom, but at least you have tried to accommodate her needs.
- Increased affection
She may suddenly become very loving, and want to be near you at all times. Don't be surprised though, if a previously affectionate cat becomes withdrawn and seeks solitude. Either personality change may be completely normal.
- Decreased Activity.
Queenie may decide she'd rather sleep most of the time. She may also lose interest in food.
- Milk Discharge from Nipples
Your cat's nipples will have become enlarged and pink about the third week of pregnancy; 24 hours or so before birth, she may show a milky discharge. This discharge may come even earlier in cats that have given birth several times.
- Drop in Temperature. The normal temperature in cats is between 100.4°F and 102.5° F. A dramatic drop in her rectal temperature is a sure indicator that birth is imminent
If you want to plan ahead a bit, be sure to read When will my cat's kittens be born?
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